by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
People can debate if Die hard Is it a Christmas movie or if Hallmark or Lifetime has a better Christmas catalog, but there's no debate that when it comes to Christmas, nothing can compare to it It's a wonderful life. One of the most important Christmas films of all time, this 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart is not only the greatest Christmas film ever made but one of the greatest films ever made. However, if not for the fact that its copyright expired in the 1970s during the television viewing boom, it would have been lost forever.
Box office disaster
Ironically, the film, about a man who feels he has nothing left to live for until his guardian angel rescues him and shows the difference he's made in the world, was also on the verge of fading into obscurity. Except instead of angel Clarence coming to the rescue, desperate network executives were looking for a cheap way to fill airtime, and when the It's a wonderful life Expired, it can be played multiple times each Christmas season and costs them almost nothing (just royalties for adapting the original story it was based on, The greatest gift). Before the constant rebroadcasts and networks promoting the film as a Christmas classic, it was known as a box office flop.
It's a wonderful life It lost money to the production company, RKO, more than $500,000 in 1946, or more than $8 million when adjusted for inflation. At the box office, the film grossed $3 million, barely besting its fellow Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street. Given the esteem in which the film is held today, it's astonishing to look back and realize that in 1946, no one cared.
Hated by critics
over the years, It's a wonderful life It has had its ups and downs in the public eye, where every few years a backlash builds against it to say a film is no good at all, then it gets re-evaluated, then it gets demolished again, in a never-ending cycle of criticism and ridicule. Critics in 1946 felt the same way, most praising both Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed for their performances, but also criticizing the film for its optimism and a Northern plot that allegedly went too far in sentimentality only a year after the end of the most devastating conflict. In human history.
It's a wonderful life It's actually a fairly dark film, at first, as we follow George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) as he battles the evil banker, Mr. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, and yes, Drew Barium's great-uncle, over losing money and land rights. . This is the bulk of the film, a bold decision that pays off when George wishes he had never been born, and the angel Clarence grants his wish. Now we see that no matter how difficult his life may seem, the world was worse off without George in it, and no matter how you feel about the film itself, the message behind it is important.
One person makes a difference
Christmas It can be a fun time and a time to be around your loved ones, but it is also one of the most frustrating times of the year for people who feel like they don't have family or any friends and may begin to wonder what the world would be like. Without them. It's a wonderful life He deals with this head on, and in the end, it's clear that one person can make a difference, and the world is better with George Bailey in it. No matter the year, no matter what has happened since 1946, that message that you matter, that you make a difference, and that the world is better with you in it, will still have meaning.
Nevertheless It's a wonderful life Rescued from the trash heap by cheap network executives, artificially marketed into a Christmas classic, it's finally being recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. The 1970s marketing campaign wasn't a lie; He was ahead of his time.
You can stream It's a wonderful life Free today, including an abridged version Amazon Primeor the full version on Roku channel.
